1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of dietary management. More specifically, it relates to a charting apparatus, system and method for planning and tracking nutrient consumption and expenditure
2. Related Art
Dietary management is a concern for many people. As such, many devices, systems and methods have been contrived to help people track and/or plan nutrient consumption. Moreover, the dietary management of children is of concern to may people especially parents. The various nutrients that may possibly be consumed by people affect dietary activity and are expended in different ways affecting overall health in various manners. For example, fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and numerous vitamins and minerals; all of which are nutrients that may benefit the human body. Moreover, diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with a decreased risk of cancer of the colon, breast, lung, oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, stomach, bladder, cervix, and pancreas. Children who develop the habit of eating lots of fruits and vegetables are more apt to continue this health habit into adulthood. However, fruit and vegetable intake among many children is low. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has increased the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines from Americans, and children are now advised to eat from 4 to 8 one-half cup servings of fruits and vegetables daily, depending on their age and gender.
In addition, liquid nutritional intake is also a critical factor in the dietary activity of people. Water is an essential liquid that must be consumed in order to maintain proper health. Unfortunately, soft drinks and sugar-sweetened fruit drinks have largely replaced more nutritious liquids such as water and low-fat milk in many children's diets. The consumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-absent soft drinks may be linked with rising rates of obesity in American children and teenagers. Additionally, decreases in calcium intake of children may also be attributable to the displacement of milk consumption by soft drinks. For proper health, it is recommended that children drink 2 to 3 cups daily of low-fat milk. More importantly, it is strongly recommended that children age's two to twelve years should have 4 to 8 cups of water per day.
In correlation with nutrient consumption, the bodily expenditure of nutrients is also of concern to many people. As such, many devices, systems and methods have been contrived to help people track and/or plan nutrient expenditure. For example, exercise machines and/or activity regimens have been developed to provide physical activities yielding some predictability in nutrient expenditure. Physical activity may be protective against weight problems in children and youth. Parents and others may be desirous to monitor and/or promote physical activity in children to assist in the maintenance of the health and well-being of the children. Hence a need exists for an apparatus system and method facilitating the planning and tracking of nutrient consumption and expenditure by humans, especially children.